Google's earbuds are getting a software refresh to go alongside today's phone announcements, and the most useful addition doesn't touch the hardware at all. Pixel Buds Pro 2 can now be controlled entirely through Gemini, letting you adjust settings by voice instead of digging through an app.

What's New

Say something like “Hey Google, turn up the bass” and Gemini adjusts the Buds directly. Google also upgraded Dynamic ANC to compensate automatically when the seal shifts slightly during wear, and added a Pixel Watch sleep sync feature that pauses music, disables touch controls, and silences notifications the moment your watch detects you've fallen asleep.

Live Translate got the biggest functional upgrade. Tap the Buds to trigger listening mode and it now understands more than 70 languages in near real time, without needing your phone out. Speak in your own language and the translation plays back to the other person in theirs through your Pixel phone, turning the earbuds into a genuinely usable two-way translation tool rather than a one-directional listening aid.

Why It Matters

Voice-controlled settings sound small, but it's the kind of feature that removes friction from something people already do constantly. The Pixel Watch sleep sync is a similarly practical touch aimed at anyone who falls asleep with earbuds in, which is a lot of people.

Live Translate is the feature worth watching. Real-time two-way translation through earbuds has been a promised feature across the industry for years, and how well it actually performs outside a demo environment is the real test.

Key Details

The new features are landing alongside a new Olive colorway for Pixel Buds Pro 2, available to order starting today. Software updates carrying the new features begin rolling out in September, so the color is available before the functionality actually lands.

The Takeaway

This is a software update dressed up as a launch, but the Gemini voice control and expanded Live Translate range are genuinely useful additions rather than filler. Olive Pixel Buds Pro 2 ship today; the new features arrive with a September software update.

With over a decade's experience covering the world of Android and having reviewed more devices than he can count, Peter is excited about where the world of tech is heading. He is currently packing the Oppo Find X9 Pro.